By Hadi Fornaji.
Tunis, 15 May 2017:
The Tripoli-based Presidency Council’s government of national accord (GNA) has said that it will pay half the costs of Libyans who are authorised to go on Haj this year to Mecca.
The announcement came as the head of the PC, Faiez Serraj, attended a lottery draw to decide those who would go on the pilgrimage this year.
Saudi Arabia has allowed Libya 7,000 haj visas this year, based on the figure of one per thousand of the population that it uses for all countries when issuing the visas. It is up to the local countries’ Haj committees to then select the would-be pilgrims by lottery.
Altogether, a record 565,569 people registered online with the Tripoli-based Haj authorities for the draw. Having originally been set for 30 April, this finally took place yesterday at the various municipalities, with local committees selecting successful applicants.
In central Tripoli, for example, where 53,254 people had applied, 364 were chosen, in Janzur, 69 out of 10,037 applicants. In Hay Al-Andalus, 84 people were chosen, in Zawia 115; in Ajilat, 50
The lottery, however, also happened in the east, including Derna where 70 people were chosen, although a number of municipalities say are refusing to deal with the Haj Welfare Committee organising the lottery on the basis that it is linked to the Presidency Council and its government of national accord.
This could imperil the chances of eastern Libyans going on Haj. The Tripoli-based committee is the only one recognised by the Saudi authorities, and it is due to send them the names of successful applications so that Haj visas can be processed.
The article is updated. Libya Herald erroneously said that the lottery had not occurred in the east of the country. We were mistaken and apologise to readers.
